Thousands of Israelis protested Tuesday against alleged police brutality toward Ethiopian Israelis across the country after an off-duty police officer shot dead Solomon Tekah, a 19-year-old Ethiopian Israeli in a Haifa suburb on Sunday.
Demonstrators blocked highways around the country, including a major thoroughfare through central Tel Aviv and the main highway into Jerusalem, snarling traffic late into the night. Protesters burned tires and held signs calling for justice. In Tel Aviv, a protester set a car on fire and demonstrators clashed with police.
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Police said officers arrested 60 people believed involved in disturbances and at least 80 people, including 47 officers, were wounded in clashes.
Several officers were reportedly receiving medical attention after being sprayed with tear gas as they rescued a driver whose windshield was smashed by protesters after he had apparently broken through the barrier they created at Tel Aviv's central Azrieli junction.
Dozens more Ethiopian Israelis joined a Facebook campaign declaring that they would refuse to perform their reserve army duties.
The protesters, led by activists from the country's Ethiopian minority, demonstrated against perceived systematic discrimination by police toward the community after an off-duty officer shot and killed Tekah.
The protests were expected to resume on Wednesday, according to the police.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement expressing sympathy for the Ethiopian community and acknowledging that "there are problems that need to be solved," but warning demonstrators that the authorities "will not tolerate the blocking of roads."
"We all mourn the tragic death of young Solomon Tekah. We embrace the family. We embrace the Ethiopian community. It is dear to me; it is dear to us. These are not mere words.
"I know that there are problems that need to be solved. We have worked hard and need to work more to solve them. But I ask of you one thing. Stop blocking the roads. We are a nation of law; we will not tolerate the blocking of roads. I ask you, let us solve the problems together while upholding the law," the prime minister said.
Thousands attended Tekah's funeral Tuesday. Police said the officer in question was arrested and was placed in protective custody by court order.
Ethiopian Israeli lawmakers and protesters, and Tekah's family have demanded that the involved officer be held accountable.
"I hope that [my son] will be the last victim," David Tekah, Solomon's father, said at the funeral. "We demand that the murderer receive what he deserves and justice is done."
Ethiopian Jews began arriving in large numbers in the 1970s and many were airlifted to Israel in clandestine operations in the 1980s and 90s during periods of unrest. Today, the Ethiopian community is estimated at approximately 150,000, or around 2% of the country's population, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
While some of its members have made strides in certain fields, many Ethiopian Israelis complain of racism, lack of opportunity, endemic poverty, and routine police harassment.
That frustration turned to public outcry and mass protests in 2015 after a police officer was filmed beating a uniformed Ethiopian Israeli soldier, and there have been sporadic demonstrations since.
Protesters say that in multiple instances of perceived police brutality, officers were not properly held accountable.
"What you see here is the frustration of an entire community that for 40 years is suffering discrimination," a protester who identified himself only as Hanan told Kan, Israel's public broadcaster.
After meeting with police commanders early Wednesday, meanwhile, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said that while he supports the right to protest, authorities would not tolerate "anarchy."
"The Israel Police made every effort and did everything possible to allow the protesters to express their pain and put across their message," said Erdan. "Forces acted with restraint and tried to avoid violent clashes that would lead to further bloodshed."
"We will continue to protect the rights of protesters to demonstrate, but we will not tolerate anarchy and we will not tolerate serious disruptions to public life," he said, adding that police would also "work to prevent harm to people or serious destruction of property."
